One Hope – Fully Alive STCAT Conference  

The plan to bring together the staff from every school in our Trust for a conference was an ambitious one. When it was proposed, two years ago, it is fair to say that none of us quite envisaged the incredible event which took place at the Wycombe Swan Theatre on Monday 13 April. 

Our aim was to create a fast-paced day with plenty of variety, where staff could experience a sense of belonging and find space to reflect on their part in our mission, ‘The glory of God is a human being fully alive’, and values of Faith, Hope and Love.  

It was important from the start that all staff would be invited and invested in on this day of celebration – both teaching and support staff – because it takes every member of staff in a school to build the culture and ethos that make our schools authentically Catholic.  

Both CJM Music and RISE Theatre are well known for their skilled leadership at conferences of this kind. Inviting two former students, Harry Clark and Juhaim Rasul Choudhury, proved to be popular with participants. One member of staff said, ‘It was lovely to hear two young people speak so passionately and confidently about their faith.’ David’s input was described as ‘inspirational’ and ‘poignant’.

All in all, the day went incredibly smoothly and was a resounding success. We are sure that the effects of the conference will be felt by pupils in every school, as staff left feeling enthused by what they had seen and heard: fully alive!  

Jane Porter 
Trust Leader of Chaplaincy